D/14

Bones

Craig McCormack

Studio Description

‘I’m a doctor, not a bricklayer.’ – Dr Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy, Star Trek.

The University of Melbourne Estate Master Plan for the Parkville campus, situated on Wurundjeri Country, was released in July 2023 and outlines the strategic aspirations and ‘vision’ for the associated campus and precinct. Located on the eastern periphery of the Parkville precinct is the School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (SGEAS) Building (1975-77), designed by architects Eggleston, Macdonald and Secomb (EMS). Also known as the McCoy Building, this ode to twentieth-century Brutalism is in possession of good bones, an imposing off-form concrete structure that would appear to be capable of supporting a far more aspirational architectural outcome. In keeping with the Estate Master Plan, Studio D14 will be tasked with not only the building’s refurbishment and ‘consolidation’ but also the addition of a suitable program/s to leverage its latent potential, not unlike the fictional Bones, who was often successful well beyond his original station.

Studio Outcomes

This studio will require students to critically engage not only with the demands of the master plan but also with the university’s broader civic responsibility in the context of the city in order to develop a conceptual position for their architectural project.

Students should be able to:

• Work consistently and iteratively at a professional standard throughout the semester and be prepared to engage with external guests to better resolve their architectural proposals.
• Undertake rigorous research within the relevant historical, theoretical, sustainable, socio-cultural, design, and technical contexts.
• Demonstrate creative architectural responses to complex conceptual and technical challenges.
• Resolve an architectural proposal demonstrating mastery of spatial organisation, spatial technologies, and experiential dynamics.

Studio Leader

Craig McCormack is a Lecturer in Architectural Design at the University of Melbourne. With diverse experience as a designer at several practices, including Syrinx Environmental (2007-2012), Craig was a director of the multidisciplinary design studio felix. Laboratories (2011-2022), where he was a co-creative director of the Australian Pavilion for the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale (felix.­_Giles_Anderson+Goad). He has a penchant for architectural technology, structures, systems, services, bold ideas, and critical speculation.

Readings & References

Readings and reference materials will be provided in class.

ABPL90438 Design Studio D is an Early start subject. An in-person Studio Presentation Day event will be held in the Hercus Theatre (L05), David Caro Building from 1pm-2pm on Tuesday 16th July followed by one-hour Q&A Session with Studio Leaders and Subject Coordinators in the MSD building. The Studio Ballot will be held online at the beginning of O-week, opening from 3pm Tuesday 16th July and closing at 3pm Wednesday 17th July. The outcome of Studio Allocation will be announced on Canvas before the end of Friday 19th July. There will be subject preparatory online work to be completed during this period before the semester commencement.

Schedule:
Monday 3:15pm-6:15pm in MSD 240
&
Thursday 3:15pm-6:15pm in MSD 142

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